Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Kaiser Health News article promotes assisted suicide.

Alex SchadenbergExecutive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Kaiser Health News is once again promoting assisted suicide. In their article concerning the court decision striking down the California assisted suicide law as unconstitutionally implemented, the Kaiser article specifically employs the story model to promote assisted suicide.This is not the first time Kaiser not only reports on assisted suicide but actually promotes assisted suicide. In the past, Kaiser has featured articles promoting a doctor in California who "specializes" in assisted suicide (I doubt the doctor paid for the advertising) while another feature promotes couple assisted suicide.The article features Debbie Gatzek Kratter, 69, a lawyer from Half Moon Bay, California who was diagnosed last year with terminal pancreatic cancer, who was planning to die by assisted suicide. Kaiser News reports:

Kratter said she is considering moving to Washington state, where medical aid-in-dying remains legal, or flying to Switzerland, where physician-assisted death is allowed. Others may choose grimmer options, she said.

At least they reported on why the California assisted suicide law is unconstitutional:

Several groups, including the Life Legal Defense Foundation and the American Academy of Medical Ethics, challenged the law, saying it failed to protect elderly, infirm and vulnerable patients. In mid-May, Ottolia upheld the groups’ motion that the law was unconstitutional because legislators improperly passed it during a special session limited to health care issues.

“Even the strongest proponents of assisted suicide should be gravely concerned about the lack of safeguards and protection in the law that was found to be unconstitutionally enacted by the Legislature,” Stephen Larson, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an email.

Remember, Kaiser will claim that the article is neutral because they included an explanation of why the assisted suicide law was struck down by the court, but in fact, the article promotes assisted suicide and it is about Debbie Kratter who is living with pancreatic cancer and wants to die by assisted suicide.